Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs makes ‘history’ — and embraces his role as a Jewish ballplayer
PHILADELPHIA — On Sunday, Garrett Stubbs made Jewish history — of sorts.
When the Oakland Athletics routed his first-place Philadelphia Phillies 18-3, Stubbs, the backup catcher, was on the mound in the ninth when Zack Gelof hit a grand slam.
It was, according to the Jewish Baseball Museum, the first-ever grand slam hit by a Jewish batter off a Jewish position player.
That wasn’t exactly the mark Stubbs has been hoping to make as a Philly — though this past month he’s been seeing more regular playing time with starter J.T. Realmuto on the injured list. Nor was his unexpected stint as a relief pitcher even discussed as a possibility in a recent interview.
Instead, Stubbs talked about Israel, and how, when the timing and the climate are right, he vowed to get to the country and get a truer appreciation for what many of his 2023 Team Israel World Baseball Classic teammates have gone through since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
He’ll also get to experience a part of his heritage, which he first learned about attending Hebrew School and preparing for his bar mitzvah yes
